Wolves at the Door (2016)

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

If this was a straight up horror film, based on it's own merits, then this could have been one of the stand out horror films of the year, but instead, the makers decided to exploit such a sadistic crime just to sell a few more tickets, and it really taints an otherwise solid movie...Four friends gather at an elegant home during the Summer of 1969. Unbeknown to them, visitors are waiting outside. What begins as a simple party turns to a night of terror as the intruders torment the four, who fight for their lives against what appears to be a senseless attack from brainwashed disciples......Take away all the Manson references, and the awful tacked on 'based on a true story' epilogue, and you have as I've already stated, a solid little horror film that has some wonderful camera-work, and quite hilarious performances from the make members of the cast.But the camera work is the essence of the film, and the timing of the shots relies heavily on the original Halloween and some other choice horror films that caused the resurgence of the slasher genre in the late nineties.It's not necessarily a grisly piece of film making, but the fact that the main character is close to birth, really does give the film a nasty edge that isn't needed, because the mise en scene does enough to give the film the intensity it deserves.My advice is, forget that the film is influenced by abhorrent events, and as soon as the film proper fades to black, switch it off, and treat it like a piece of cheap b movie horror and nothing else.

The Amazon description lets you know this film is based on the Manson murders. The production keeps that fact hidden until the end. The film concentrates on the victims. We are never introduced to the killers or know their motives. We only get glimpses of their faces. This is a less fictional account that attempts to work in terror by using dark scenes and the Manson infamous "creepy crawly" aspect. The killings were not as horrific and graphic as other films. In other films they burst in and it is well lit. In this one they stealth in the dark keeping to the accounts.The production fell short of the intended effect, partly because we all knew there was no final girl.Knowing the ending means they need to bring something new to the film and while hiding all the faces of the killers was new...that doesn't make it. Being a mainstream production I expected more than low budget effects. There was some camera light glare in the opening police scene. In one of the stabbing scenes you can hear the knife making a spring noise. They are not even showing the knife stabbing, why are they using a loud fake retractable blade? I do miss the old stereo equipment, striped bell bottoms, TVs, and nightly station sign offs so we all knew when to go to bed.Guide: No sex or nudity. Rated "R" for violence and language, although I don't recall hearing much dialogue. The "Purge" series or "Hell Night" type films are better for this type of horror because we don't know the ending.

"Wolves at the Door" is a boring and shallow slasher with no storyline or character development. The screenplay instead of build tension, is boredom.In 1969 in California, a family is disturbed by a group that breaks in their house. Later four friends celebrate the farewell of one of them to Boston. Out of the blue, two men and two women break in their compound and they are murdered, one by one. Who are they, killers and victims? The viewer will learn in the beginning of the credits only. Don't waste your time watching this flick is the best anyone can do. My vote is two.Title (Brazil): Not Available

I heard lots of aggressive criticism of this film from all critics I looked at, however being a big horror fan, and finding both the Manson family and the 60's in general interesting I decided to check this out. The opening scene smashed the conventions of a standard horror immediately by not having someone killed. Instead we see a middle aged couple harassed by the Manson family, but despite some inappropriate messages being written on their house walls in a red substance, the couple are saved by the boys in blue, who respond to their call quickly.We then are introduced to our main characters, who get together at a house in pursuit of not being brutally murdered, much to their disappointment.The film is well produced and well shot. There is one very scary moment in the middle. No background is given to the Manson family during the film which I found annoying but the soundtrack is decent, with lots of 60's tunes, including 'Shes not there' by the Zombies.Also, the film is very short, which I really liked.If you want a nice short horror movie then this will just about do the job.